Split ring expander



L. R. BARKAN ET AL SPLIT RING EXPANDER Filed July 9, 1947 Patented NOV. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES OFFICEIL- lon', Ohio;` assignors" to Eaton Manufacturing Company, p Cleveland, Chime ai. corporation `of.`

ApplicationJuly9,` 1947, SralN. '759,"822n This: inventionrrelates to snap rings andiznore` particularly i to `a` tool for Aapplying said xrings:` to andxfor removing isamafr'om shafts andi` ltnefrlike: l

Broadly the" inventioni coi'nprelfiends the pro-'- vision of `toolsforinserting or applying resilient; 5 snap rings in appropriate-'groovosfin:shafts com"- prisma` plierrmeans. fon-expanding :the rings, lock means for retaining therings in` expanded posi-V tions :and recess-1 meansff or'. preventing oyereex.- pension off the4 rings; as Well` as retain 1 and: pre` 10 vent samer fromH twisting `While in expandedrfcone dition'.A

An objectof the inventionis the provision l-oi atoo1 `fo1'-expanding snap `rings in. `an "easy man; ner for `application to shafts `and ther like.

Another olojectH ofwtl'ie inventonis the prof` visionpf a tool for readily, easily;- and effectively applying: snap irings tovshafts wwithoutiiniuryfi to theeshaft.

Another object` of l the `invention isf the provi-- 20 son` i of l a i tool 'for i exp ending resilientsnap rings l for application tc removal from appropriatefsliaft' grooves while ati the-i samel time prevent over-- i expansonof` the ringsy and either twisting: or

cooking thereof when in `expanded:posit-ionil 25# Aifurtlier objectief the-inventionss -tlaeiproe i visionxof awtool for`` applying resilient-circulan snap rings to* and reniovingwsaine.i from shaftsA and the like with avmi-nimumofmanual-presea sure;

Ai yet `further objectMoftthe -inVention isatheN provision of an external `type resilient-snap'ringrm expanding tool having means -incorporatedithere-- in` for preventing' over-expansionll of the-lringiarid1` at they same time provide for. 4eqnal i' distribution a 35 of stresses therein so as to preventtconcentra tion of stress at a point diametricallyopposite the opening in the ring. l

A still. further object oftheinvention-is1 the provision of atool for expanding resilientsplt` 40 rings ifor l insertion l upont and removal 'fromr retaining grooves therefor-of sl1ai1',s-a,1'idtheirlikeA throughthe application of `pressure substantially-r tangentially to -the-iring circumference and havngv-:means incorporated therein for locking: the i5 Fig: 2is` a top plan or` the snap -ring expand-- ing Atooishovvn lay-Fig. 1 With*tlfieiriiignI exi panded stateftherein;

Fig.- 3 -is a sideplan-vieW-offithe `tool partly in section;

Fig;` 4 is` a; cross section View taken throughf lines '4--4- ci Fig 3 and" Figs 5 is`- a cross 'section-view` takenithroughw lineslE--iof Fig.` 2.1'

It @hasibeen th'eficustomarywpractice priorto theldevelopmentof tlfietcol described and claimed by co-pending` application`V entitled Expanding Implement, Ser: No. 65l823ifledMarch 4, 1945, to' apply i resi-lient f snapi -rings to l shafts without 5 providing meanslfor preventing over#expansiom` of tloe -ringi'orfl twistingI or `cooking ftliereof` Whe-n1. in`- expanded position; l

It 'is the premise. of "'t'nef present invention ton` provide awtool of` the classlfdefinedsby UjfSLlapplii cationSerial No. 651,823 embodying` distinct improvements thereover and Whichfisfcapablerof quickly; easily; effectively,` and safely applying expanded resilient snap` rings to' shafts:` While simultaneously*preventing over expansion, stress concentration `and twistingrot fthe; rings l thereby.: minimizing anyV possibility `oil` injury to thefshaft in` the` application of.` tll'e ringsv tliereuponn This;` tool fisfl simple u to operate. in that "itl embodies la A conventional type of expanding plier having J a" high Wratioz leverages requiring low manual l pressureiioi-^ expandingnthex rings tol the Ireqniredzzsizet for:` application` upon' shaitsi and thelike@ and means forflocking the-pli'ersduring maximum` expanded state of the ring for ease in handling" the tool and ring duringtherfactual"application` of the tool to"appropriate grooves providedixin members r adapted to freceive same. l The :ring is c inserted into its receiving groovegxaiter the tool iszimoved `to application positicn,` by releasing` the lockingmeans;I and:Spermittingwcontraction Aofthe rin'ginto the groove. Thertooi is adapta'lalefo remove i the l rings fromm its-:i applied position 'r in a like manner'asfapplied.

Referring" tor-thei' drawings i for more* specific s details of the invention, Il) represents-generally af i tooli ifor :expanding: `a resilienti snapA `ring fsucli as '.illustratedl` by" I Zrforrapplyinge andaremoving:` the ring "from `iampropriate grooves `in sh'aftsandf" the like adapted to employ externallsnap." rings fr'axial holdingl of members associated with the shafts.`

'Ilie` tool l0 comprises :a: conventional itypeelofr: expandingY pliers l 4 including '1 afzpair of: substans tilly f like? membersr IS@ pivotally connected: to; i. getlieri by pins 13a-fr "relative zswingin'gzmovee ment toward and away from each other. The members I6 each include handle portions 2e and nose portions 22, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. A compressing spring 213 arranged intermediate the handles 22 normally holds the handles apart and the nose portions 22 of the pliers in closed relation.

A locking means 26 is provided for the pliers adapted to hold the nose portions 22 of the pliers apart, when the handles are pressed together a predetermined amount, against the resistance of spring 24. The means 2@ includes a lever 23 having a part 3S and another part 32 extended substantially at right angles to one another and being pivoted upon one of the handles 2d of the pliers near the junction of the two parts.

The part 3d of the lever extends across the handles of the pliers and is notched 34 at its free end adapted to cooperate with a locking pin Sii arranged on one of the handles opposite from l the handle upon which the lever is pivoted so as to be easily actuated as required and is normally biased away from the handle by a spring 38 interposed between the handle and free end of part 32. The spring 3S acts to load lever 28 in such a manner that upon movement of the handles from the position shown by Fig. 1 to that shown by Fig. 2, the notch 3e automatically engages pin 35 and operates to hold the pliers in expanded position. Although it is preferable to provide only one notch 34 as a positive predetermined expansion position of snap rings handled it may be necessary and advisable to provide a plurality of notches 36 arranged in close array to account for variations in the manufacture of said snap rings relative to the circumferential length of the metal.

The pliers lil are associated with an arcuate ring holder lill which is fixedly secured to the pin t8 upon which the pliers are pivoted. The holder 40 includes a flat portion 42 to which the pin is secured extending in a direction with the length of the pliers and a ring portion 44 integral therewith disposed beyond the free end of the nose portions of the pliers having an axially extended circumferential rib l thereon. An arcuate portion of the rib is broken away to form an opening L18 through which the nose portions of the pliers extend and in which they are movable a predetermined extent. The rib 45 provides in conjunction with the ring 413 a circumferential groove or recess 521 having a slightly tapered wall 52, said groove being adapted to receive a split resilient snap ring therein.

The portion i2 of the ring holder has a pin 54 xedly secured on the face 56 thereof adapted to be engaged by notches 58 in the nose portions of the pliers for centering the nose portions thereof when in contacted position as shown by Fig. l relative to the opening in the rib portion of the holder.

The extreme ends of the plier nose portions are provided with ring gripping notched portions Bil adapted to register with the open ends .of the snap ring l2.

In a normal use of the tool the split resilient snap ring l2 is inserted into groove 50 with its open end in the opening of rib d and with the nose gripping portions of the pliers inserted between the ends of the ring as shown by Fig. 1. In the condition shown by Fig. 1 it is to be noted that the internal diameter of the snap ring is smaller than the opening of the ring holder and its external diameter is smaller than the diameter of the wall 50.

With the ring l2 inserted in the groove the handles 26 are pressed together resulting in expanding the ring into abutting relation against the wall 52, said wall in turn acting to restrain the ring from further expansion thus preventing any over expansion thereof tending to permanently deform the ring. Simultaneously with the snap ring being pressed into engagement with the wall the locking means 2S becomes effective through the action of spring 38 causing the notch 3d on part Si) of the lever to engage the pin 36 and inhibit collapsing of the pliers and snap ring when in expanded position. It is to be noted by Fig. 3 that the snap ring when in expanded position is restrained from cooking or twisting motion out of groove by the taper of wall 52 serving to clamp the snap ring from moving out of the plane of the pliers and ring holder and also Athat the internal diameter of the ring assumes a size equal to or larger than the internal diameter of the ring sli of the ring holder, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

Upon the expanding of the snap ring and the locking thereof in expanded position, the snap ring is in readiness to be applied to an appropriate groove in a shaft or the like upon which the ring is to be assembled. The ring 44 is provided appropriately with an opening of a, diameter slightly greater than the shaft to which the snap ring I2 is to be applied so that the shaft can be passed into the opening with ease and without injury to the shaft. When the shaft is moved to a position wherein the snap ring coincides radially with the groove in the shaft adapted to receive the ring, the release portion 32 of the lever is pressed moving the notch 34 from engagement with the pin 36 and permitting contraction of the snap ring li through the movement of the nose portions of the pliers to contacting position as the handles are biased apart by spring 24. By maintaining a light hand gripping load upon the handles in opposition to the load of spring 24 the snap ring can be eased into its receiving groove and the tool can be slipped out over the shaft. This completes a cycle of use of the tool.

While this invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, the principle involved is susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention, therefore, is limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A tool for expanding a resilient split ring comprising a member having a circular opening therethrough. a circumferential inwardly tapere-fl wall recess adjacent the opening and a radial slot connected with the recess, the taper thereof flaring radially outwardly from the face of the recess to the bottom thereof, a pair of substantially identical members pivoted on the first member having notched ngers movable in the slot, adapted to be engageable with the'free ends of a ring received in the recess with its split portion in radial alignment with the slot, for expanding the ring into engagement with the circumferential inwardly tapered wall of the recess, means on the first member in line with the pivot axis of the pair of members and opening through the first member engageable by the pair of members for positioning the members relative to one another in their normal stationary position, spring means interposed between the members on the opposite side of their pivot from their notched finger end for normally holding the members against the positioning means, means associated with the pivotal members for locking said members in predetermined expanded position, and means for releasing said locking means.

2. A `split ring expander including a plier construction and a ring retainer, said plier construction comprising two levers pivoted intermediate their ends affording handles at one end of the levers and jaws at the other end thereof, said ring retainer comprising an elongated member mounted on the pivot of said pliers and extending towards the ends of said jaws and terminating in the annulus having an upstanding wall provided with a slot to receive the end of said jaws.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 including 6 a stop on said elongated member intermediate its ends for engaging and centering the elongated member with respect to the jaws of the pliers.

LOUIS R. BARKAN. MORRIS L. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,052,982 Sturtevant et al. Feb. 11, 1913 1,079,564 Komancsek Nov. 25, 1913 1,283,620 Baker Nov. 5, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 501,252 Germany June 30, 1930 

